


Family

by princessrorora



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, SO, i'm bitter, more shameless philora fluff, they deserved happiness and children and a kingdom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-25
Updated: 2013-09-25
Packaged: 2017-12-27 15:17:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/980450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princessrorora/pseuds/princessrorora
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phillip wakes in the night to find Aurora gone. But he knows exactly where she is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Family

When he wakes in the middle of the night to find the other side of the bed empty, he should go into a panic. Reach out, claw at the sheets, call for the guards, fret and worry. But no. His reaction is merely a sigh and shake of his head. Phillip knows exactly where his princess had gone to in the middle of the night.

Or rather, to who.

He reluctantly pulls himself out of bed, knowing if she didn’t get some sort of rest soon she would wear herself into the ground. Running a kingdom, being a wife, being a mother, it would all take a toll on her eventually. 

He can’t help but smile as he slips his robes on. Ah, his Aurora. Her delicate outer appearance masked the strong lionheart within. She could endure plenty, and had already. But he didn’t want her to lose herself in all her responsibilities and fall apart. He’d lost her too many times before. Now that they were finally happy and together again, he wasn’t about to again. 

He yawns and rakes his scarred hand through his short brown curls as he steps out into the hall. The guards outside their door stand at attention instantly, but he just waves his hand at them. “Relax. I’m just looking for the queen." He chuckles. Before they can speak up, he waves his hand again. “I know exactly where she is, thank you. As you were, gentlemen." 

He shuffles down the hall, every bit a king in his posture, despite the slight slump of his shoulders and heavy footsteps from weariness. He pauses outside the door at the end of the hall, and listens through the heavy door. “Aurora?" He whispers, before slipping inside. 

There’s a faint glow from a candle on a table, and the softest creaking sound mingled with the gentle sound of a singing voice. His heart skips a beat at the sound, and suddenly, memories of a princess wearing peasant’s clothes in the forest come to mind. Ah, he had thought her to be some sort of nymph with such an ethereal voice. He steps further into the room and finds his wife in the rocking chair near the window. She’s staring tenderly down at the small bundle in her arms, the moonlight casting a glow over the room. 

"You’re going to spoil him." He murmurs in a singsong voice.

Aurora gasps as she looks up, her cheeks instantly tinting pink. She shyly looks away, like a child caught doing something bad. “He  _needs_  me." 

"We talked about this." He kneels in front of her, and gently rests his hand on her lap. “He sleeps through the night now. He’s just fine here in his own room." Phillip can’t help but smile as Aurora’s eyes grow big and her lips pout. “Don’t give me that face." He laughs softly. “What happened? You were fine when we put him down. What changed?" 

Aurora anxiously bites her lip and shakes her head. “I…I thought I heard him." Her shyness melts away and she lets out a groan as she holds the baby closer, almost fearing her husband would take him and put him back in his own bed. “Maybe it’s too soon. Maybe he still needs to sleep in his cradle in our room. He's too far away in here. What if I don't hear him and I don't get to him in time?" She brushes her thumb against her son’s soft cheek. “It’s only been three months. It’s too soon. He’s still so small."

"I don’t doubt your motherly instincts one bit, my love." He says in an utterly warm voice that makes her melt. “But he’s okay. He’s just down the hall from us, safely guarded. If he needed us, we would hear him. With a cry like his, I  _know_  we would." He assures her gently, a smile grazing his lips. “You need your rest, darling. You needn’t stay up all night worrying. He will be a wonderful little boy and sleep all night, just as you know he will. You should be proud of him. Most children rarely sleep the night at his age." 

"But Phillip…" She bit her lower lip, wide eyes finding his in the moonlight. Her next few words come out firmly, saying more than what passed her lips. “I don’t want anything to happen to him." 

He studied his wife for a moment, the way her eyes grew teary and her hands clutched their son closer. He sighed, and gently brought his hand down to touch the soft curly brown hair of their little boy. He squeaked in his sleep, a deep breath escaping him as he dreamed.  

"Is it the nightmares again?" He murmurs quietly, studying Aurora closely. 

She doesn’t have to answer. Her expression says it all. Aurora had been younger than their son had been when Maleficent cursed her. Of course she would fret and worry something could happen. But he always promised her that nothing could happen. The dragon queen was dead and could no longer harm them. But the nightmares still came as remnants of the evil woman’s curse. 

"My sweet Aurora." He murmurs, brushing a curl away from Aurora's face. She looks up at him hopefully, despite the tears in her eyes.

"I...I know, Phillip...I know...but they won't stop...they won't go away. And I just...I can't be away from him." Aurora looks down at their son, at the way his lips purse like hers, at how his hair curls like his father's. "He's too...he's too precious...I can't...I don't want to risk anything..."

"Shhh..." Phillip leans up and presses his lips to Aurora's forehead. When he pulls back, he brings his hand back to his son's hair. Phillip takes a deep breath, toying with his son's curls lazily as he stares up at Aurora. He gives her a warm, understanding smile before nodding at her. "Perhaps one more night with us wouldn’t hurt…if it will put your mind at ease." 

Aurora’s eyes brighten. “Really?" Her voice catches in her throat.

"We don't have to rush this if you aren't ready. If both of you aren't ready." He smiles warmly. “And so long as you finally get some sleep."

She nods and reaches a hand out towards him. Her fingers curl into the soft fabrics of his robe, and she leans in to capture his lips. “I love you." She whispers as she pulls away. “Thank you." Her voice catches as she stares into her husband’s eyes. 

"Anything for you, my darling."

 


End file.
